Mirror Image
by Diane Klepper
Summary: Nicholas Locarno and Thomas Paris meet for the first time. Set after voyager returns home.


Mirror Image 

ByDiane Klepper (Author's note: Nicholas Locarno and Thomas Paris meet for the first time. Set after Voyager returns home.)

I stared at the half empty glass of Denebian Scotch and sighed. I picked up the glass and swished the light brown liquid it held. God I was bored. Flying cargo around the Alpha Quadrant was so mundane. When I was a kid I dreamed about flying the fastest and most advanced ships that the Federation could build. I guess what bothers me the most is that I came so close to achieving my goals. I still find it amazing so many years later that something that took a split second could completely change my life.

The owner of the bar comes to my table in the back and asks me if I needed a refill. I smiled and nodded. She nods and heads back to the bar to get my drink. It's funny I consider Sandrine to be a good friend even though the first time we met she thought I was someone else. I was at a layover waiting for my cargo to be loaded in Marsaille, France. I had a few hours to kill so I decided to get a drink. It was early in the afternoon and the bar was mostly empty. Sandrine, a middle- aged, blonde French woman was standing at the bar reading a padd at the bar. I walked up to the bar and sat down right in front of her. She looked up at me and said in a quivering voice with a deep French accent, "Thomas…is that you?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, my name is Nick…Nick Locarno."

She kept staring at me and after a few minutes she smiled. "You look like my Thomas…but I know you are not him…I see you have experienced a lot of pain like my Thomas has…"

I wanted to tell her that she didn't know what she was talking about but I somehow knew she wouldn't believe me. I just smiled at her. "Look Miss…you don't know anything about me."

Sandrine just smiled. "That is true…but I see sadness in your eyes…If you want to talk I'm here…Thomas Paris always said I was a good listener."

Tom Paris…I should of known that was the Thomas that Sandrine was talking about. From the time I entered Starfleet Academy I was told that I resembled Admiral's Paris son, Thomas Eugene Paris. He is two years older than me and even though we spent two years together at the Starfleet Academy San Francisco campus we never actually met. The first time I noticed the resemblance was when I had a meeting with Admiral Paris during my sophomore year. I was in his History of the Prime Directive class and I had a question about the final paper so I made an appointment to see him the next day.

I arrived at his office five minutes early and his secretary told me I could wait inside his office for him. I walked into his office and noticed that on his desk he had a whole bunch of family photographs. The photographs contained images of a blonde middle- age woman who must have been the Admiral's wife and three children at various ages. One photograph that looked to be very recent had a young man who appeared to be a few years older than I was. The young man in the photograph had blue eyes and blonde hair just like I did. I assumed the photograph was taken during one of the Academy's semesters because he had the traditional Starfleet sideburns. He looked enough like me to pass for my older brother or maybe even my twin. I picked up the photograph to take a closer look but as I heard the door open I quickly put the photograph down on the desk. I turned around and saw Admiral Paris staring at me with a knowing smirk on his face. "Mr. Locorno…I see you have noticed the similarities too."

Not knowing what to say I just said, "Yes, sir."

Admiral Paris smiled. "When I first saw you from a distance I could of sworn you were my son Thomas…but I knew Thomas was away on a class trip. My son is going graduating from the Academy next semester. I've been following your progress Nick…I only wish my son put up the same grades as you… Keep up the good work and you will go far in Starfleet, son."

I smiled at the complement. "Thank you sir." We spent the next fifteen minutes discussing my final paper and I came out of the meeting feeling very good about myself. Sometimes my life at the Academy seemed like it was a lifetime ago. After I got expelled from the Academy I found a job working as a cargo pilot. After working for other people for three years I was able to save up enough money to buy my own ship. I was on a layover on Bajor having a drink when a special bulletin came over Federation News channel. It announced that Thomas Eugene Paris of the famous Paris family was sentenced to eighteen months in prison for working for the Maquis. I heard through some Starfleet friends that I was still in contact with that Tom got kicked out of Starfleet for lying about an accident that killed three officers. I still felt bad about Josh Albert's death. I couldn't imagine what Tom felt like being responsible for the death of three people. I guess we have more in common then just looking alike.

A year later I heard that Tom Paris was on Voyager when it disappeared. I thought that after that I would never have to worry about meeting my look alike again. It was soon after that I found Chez Sandrine. The owner of the bar, Sandrine was a good listener and whenever I was on Earth I always made a point to visit her. I was with her when we heard that Voyager was stranded in the Delta Quadrant and that Tom was not only alive but that he was flying Voyager towards home. Sandrine hugged me and bought everyone in a bar a drink. I was jealous of Tom Paris. He got to fly a Starfleet ship again and I was still flying a twenty- year old cargo ship.

As I finished my musings I felt an arm on Sandrine's arm on my shoulder. "Here is your drink Nicholas. Did you hear Voyager has returned home? My Thomas is home."

I smiled and said, "I'm glad "

Sandrine looked at me and smiled, "Nicholas…Starfleet gave Thomas a chance to fly for them again…maybe if you reapplied they will let you fly again. So many good people were lost during the war with the Dominion. Starfleet could always use an experienced pilot."

I smiled. To most people Sandrine seemed like a complete flirt who came onto all the men who entered her establishment…But she somehow knew when someone needed a friend like I did the day I walked into her bar…I was still friends with a number of people from the Academy…Maybe I could get a job at the Academy teaching part time just to be near the Federation's most sophisticated starship. "Maybe I will look into it."

I excused myself to go to the restroom.

When I returned from the restroom I saw Sandrine hugging a man who was dressed in a red Starfleet uniform. Next to the man stood a woman who was also dressed in a Starfleet uniform. I could see she was part Klingon from the ridges on her forehead. The woman was holding something wrapped in a white blanket in her arms. Sandrine had tears in her eyes but I could tell from the huge smile on her face that she was happy.

I was about to leave when Sandrine called to me. "Nicholas…I have someone I want you to meet."

The man turned to face me. From the deep blue eyes and the cocky grin I knew who it was instantly. I've seen that face stare at me enough in the mirror. It's funny I've seen photographs of him throughout the years but it was more unnerving to see him in person. .

Sandrine grabbed my right arm as if she could tell I was a few seconds from bolting out of the bar. "Nicholas Locarno…I want you to meet Thomas Paris and his wife B'Elanna and their beautiful baby Miral Kathryn."

I smiled at them politely. Closer to them I saw a tiny ridged head sticking out of the blanket. Tom Paris left Earth as an ex-con and a traitor to both the Federation and the Maquis and he comes home not only with a Starfleet commission but with a family also. I heard stories about some of the hardships the Voyager crew went through trapped in the Delta Quadrant but I was also jealous of a man who got another chance to revitalize his life, which is something I never did.

Both Tom and I stood staring at each other for a few seconds with neither of us knowing what to say. The silence was stopped when the baby started to cry. B'Elanna started to rock the baby and then a smell hit us all at once. B'Elanna frowned, "Excuse me I need to change the baby."

Sandrine smiled, "Come…I have an apartment upstairs. You can change her up there…Thomas, Nicholas why don't you get some drinks…We will be down in a few minutes."

Tom smirked at me. "I see Sandrine hasn't changed. Sit down I'll get you a drink." Tom went behind the bar and I went to my regular table in the back of the bar. Two minutes later Tom returned with two mugs of beer and sat down across from me at the table.

I took a sip of my beer. "You seem to know your way around the bar."

Tom smiled, "Yeah…Sandrine use to let me work off my bar tabs when it got too high." Tom looked around the bar as if he was examining every inch of the place. "You know on Voyager I made a holo version of Sandrine. It was quite popular for a while."

I smiled at his comment. "How was the holo bar owner?"

Tom smirked. "Very realistic even though see tried to seduce our E.M.H?"

I laughed at the comment. "I always thought of Sandrine as more of the motherly type."

"I do too…she likes to take in strays. I don't think I would of survived Caldik Prime without her."

I nodded. "It's funny…We look alike and we have similar pasts but we never actually met."

"I heard about you. My junior semester my roommate Charlie Day told me I had doppelganger in the freshman class."

The name Tom said rang a bell. "Charlie Day…he was one of the people who died at Caldik Prime?"

"Yeah…I still see their faces in my dreams sometimes."

I picked up my beer and took a huge gulp to steady me nerves. "I still see Josh's face too." I finally got up the nerve to ask Tom what I really wanted to. . "What was it really like flying Voyager?"

A smile spread across his face. "I have been flying all sorts of spaceships since I was eight years old, but Voyager was special. The ship responded to my slightest touch. It was like making love to a beautiful woman."

I smiled at that remark. "How does your wife feel about that?"

Tom smirked, "We have an agreement that I stay away from strange ships but I can be friends with the Delta Flyer and Voyager."

I gave him a quizzical look. "Tom I…"

"I know what you thinking…why did I get another chance and you didn't. Well Nick I don't know…I thought I would be on Voyager for a couple of weeks and then sent back to the prison colony."

"I know my grandmother always said that fate works in mysterious ways…I guess we both will never know why you got a second chance and I didn't. I heard some of the reports about your mission…I know about some of the things you went through and I don't know if I would of survived." I smiled, "Besides my life isn't all bad…I have my own cargo business….and of course Sandrine."

Tom lifted his mug of beer. "To Sandrine."

I lifted my mug and clinked his. "To Sandrine."

We both took a sip. I put my mug down on the table. "You know Sandrine suggested that I reapply to Starfleet…The Federation lost a lot of people in the Dominion War."

Tom took another ship from his mug and put it down on the table. "You should…I could ask Captain Janeway to help you." Tom smirked, "You could be her latest reclamation project."

I looked at him surprised. "Why do you want to help me? You don't even know me."

"Sandrine knows you…I trust her."

I smiled at him. "Thanks Tom…I may take you up on that offer." I stood up. " I have to leave now. I have an early cargo haul tomorrow."

"Don't you want to stay for a drink with B'Elanna and Sandrine?"

"No you and Sandrine should use this time to catch up."

Tom stood up and we shook hands. "I mean it Nick if you want to get back in Starfleet I will help you." He smiled, "Hey us look a likes have to stick together."

I laughed at that comment. "Thanks…and Tom welcome home."


End file.
